Dozierende

Dozierende is a German-language term used at universities and other higher education institutions to refer to teaching staff whose primary function is instruction. The term is inclusive and not restricted to a single formal title; it encompasses professors, associate professors, junior lecturers, adjuncts, and other instructors who are engaged in teaching, sometimes alongside research. In practice, Dozierende design and deliver courses, lead seminars and tutorials, supervise theses, assess student performance, and contribute to curriculum development. Many Dozierende also conduct research, while others focus mainly on teaching.

Employment and status vary by country and institution. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, professorial titles such as Professor or Privatdozent are commonly distinguished from other teaching staff like Lehrbeauftragte (lecturers appointed for a course) or Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter (research staff with teaching duties). The umbrella term Dozierende emphasizes the instructional role across these categories, including both permanent faculty and temporally contracted staff.

Qualifications and career paths typically include an advanced degree (often a PhD or equivalent) and pedagogical training or teaching credentials in many institutions. For permanent professorships, additional qualifications such as habilitation or equivalent research achievements are common in some systems. Dozierende may pursue tenure-track or permanent academic appointments, or fixed-term teaching appointments depending on funding and institutional policy.

Related terms include Lehrende and Hochschullehrer, which describe teaching staff and university teachers in related contexts.